Progear (2001). Play online

Summary

Progear surprised me with its sleek, steampunk‑infused art that feels ripped straight from an anime. The arcade cabinet runs on Capcom’s CPS‑2 board, a rarity for Cave, which meant squeezing vivid designs into a tight colour palette. I loved swapping between the two pilots and three gunners—each switch trades a powerful primary attack for the lock‑on firepower of Gunner mode, a mechanic that keeps the bullet‑hell fresh. Bombs are fueled by collected jewels, while destroyed enemy projectiles turn into rings or gems that feed the score, making every dodge count. The U.S. release was ultra‑limited, turning the machine into a collector’s treasure. Behind the scenes, veteran designer Junya Inoue directed the title and Tsuneki Ikeda led the programming, a true Cave‑Capcom collaboration that marked the studio’s first horizontal shooter before they returned to vertical play years later.

Storyline

In the kingdom of Parts, a council of elderly nobles discovered a secret to immortality, becoming the Motoruin sages—Ballossum Pench, Gabriel Hammer, Jimchuck Spanner, Olsorro Slasher and Leonard Drill. Their newfound power drives them to overthrow the kingdom, collapse the government and lay waste to villages. To stop them, five young heroes take to the skies with a newly invented semi‑automatic propelling engine. The story follows their aerial battles against the Motoruin’s forces.

The pilots are Ring Reed, a 14‑year‑old who flies the Gambler biplane, and Bolt Boyer, a 15‑year‑old pilot of the Militant. Their gunner teammates are Chain Chairot, 14, who mans Alpha and is Ring’s childhood friend; Nail Nera Nerouz, a 12‑year‑old princess‑turned‑gunner of Beta; and Rivet Rivera, a 17‑year‑old governess who operates Gamma. Together they form the only resistance against the sages in Progear.